After such a busy day yesterday, we just hung out around the house today. It is a rest day for the Tour as well. The sky is blue and clear and the mountains are just beautiful. Don worked on his photos in the morning, while I did some laundry. We kept saying we should go out and do something, but we were just enjoying the peace and beauty of the back yard so much, we couldn’t tear ourselves away. The day passed by, sunny and blue, as we lazed away the afternoon. (see more of Don's photos)
Eventually we got ourselves together and went into Sion to find internet and get some supplies. We stopped at the pharmacy first and asked the pharmacist where we might find internet. He very graciously offered us the use of his, and gave us the logon. So we sat in the waiting area of the pharmacy and checked our email and bank balances. While I was waiting for Don to have his turn I picked up a book that was among the magazines on the coffee table titled “Monsieur, comment va l’amour?” (Mister, how’s your love life). This is a 30-page booklet with a glossy cover and it turned out to be an advertisement by Pfizer discussing erectile dysfunction. It is illustrated with cartoon-type drawings of bodacious, buxom beauties and a poor, hapless man red-faced in bed, comparing himself to the David sculpture, and finally talking to his doctor. Each page is illustrated with very funny and frank drawings. When I got to the page with a sketch of a heart and an erect cock, with the headline (The heart and the cock, the two motors of life!) I almost lost it imagining this book on a shelf at Longs. Thank goodness it was my turn on the computer. I was having trouble keeping my chuckles from bursting out into guffaws.
In the evening we went into Martigney for the big Tour de France celebration there. Lots of people on the street, bands performing, guys with beer everywhere, kids hanging over the fences. Everyone was having a good time. We saw two folk dancing performances with the groups in traditional costumes. One was a story of the shepherds and their girls, happily dancing in the village. Then the bad ogres or wolves or bears (I really couldn’t tell what they are, except they are bad guys) came down the mountain and a
ttacked the village. The ogres were ominous and threatening and danced all around jumping over towards the little kids hanging over the fences. OOOOOh! They would jump back and look scared, but finally decided they were safe enough. The group of little boys standing next to me, about 5 or 6 years old, were quite impressed with the ogres. After awhile the shepherds came out with their staffs and scared the ogres away and then the shepherds and girls danced happily around the square again.
ttacked the village. The ogres were ominous and threatening and danced all around jumping over towards the little kids hanging over the fences. OOOOOh! They would jump back and look scared, but finally decided they were safe enough. The group of little boys standing next to me, about 5 or 6 years old, were quite impressed with the ogres. After awhile the shepherds came out with their staffs and scared the ogres away and then the shepherds and girls danced happily around the square again.
The crowd was very well behaved and every one was having a good time at the party. After a couple of hours we headed home and off to bed.
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